Our friend Julie put me onto this recipe–which originated from Jocelyn Dimbleby.
slices of peeled sweet potato roasted with the chicken for its last half hour in the oven.
The marinade has the spices turmeric and cumin whose anti-inflammatory and antioxident qualities are a plus for diabetics.
The smell wafts through the kitchen and whets the appetite.
Marinade the bird for a few hours in the fridge and roast it for an hour and a quarter.
for the marinade
Juice of a large lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic–crushed
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 free range/organic chicken (weighing about 1.4k/3lb)
For the sauce
glass of white wine
- Mix the marinade ingredients in a small bowl.
- Put the chicken in a large bowl and pour/brush/smooth over the marinade.
- Turn the bird in the marinade.
- Leave for a few hours–covered–in the fridge.
not pretty but effective!
Heat the oven to 180C/350F
- Sprinkle some salt over the bird.
- Place it, breast down, in a large roasting pan.
- Pour any marinade remaining in the bowl over the chicken.
- Add a further tablespoon of olive oil.
- Place in the middle of the oven.
- Roast for 3/4 of an hour–basting it from time to time with the juices.
- Turn the bird over for the remaining half hour.
- Let the chicken rest while you make a sauce from the juices.
- Tip the pan and spoon out all but a tablespoon of the fat.
- Add a glass of white wine and stir–dissolving the “bits” into a sauce over a low heat.
- A garlicky yogurt sauce goes well with it.
Robin Ellis 